Speech delivered by
H.M. King Mohammed VI on the 28th anniversary of the Green March

(6 November 2003, Meknes )


"Praise be to God
May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin

My loyal subjects,

This year, we are commemorating the anniversary of the Glorious Green March in an atmosphere of piety and loyalty, and with a deep feeling of gratitude to Almighty God.

Piety is further enhanced by the favours showered on Muslims by the Almighty during this sacred month of fasting, the month of the revelation of the Koran, a time when our souls are imbued with the virtues of sacrifice, solidarity, tolerance, generosity and forgiveness.

This celebration is also characterised by loyalty to the memory of my late Grandfather, His Majesty King Mohammed V, the liberator of the nation who passed away forty-two years ago. Loyalty is also owed to the memory of my late Father His Majesty King Hassan II, the architect of the Green March, the twenty-eighth anniversary of which we are commemorating today.

Morocco will remain grateful to them and cherish their fond memory forever. May the Almighty bless their souls. As for me, I solemnly pledge to follow in their footsteps.

We feel grateful for God's many blessings as we celebrate this anniversary together, in a spirit of national unity and social solidarity. We are all proud of the way Moroccans have chosen to live, deeply committed to their great religion and to the values of justice, human dignity and tolerance it advocates.

The glorious Green March will be a landmark in our recent history, just like the Revolution of the King and the People for the recovery of our independence. Its commemoration is an opportunity we have each year to take stock of our achievements and to brace ourselves for the challenges ahead.

My loyal subjects,
Today, I should like to talk to you about the latest developments concerning our Saharan provinces, which call for more vigilance and clear-sightedness on our part, and require that we adopt a strategy to uphold our democratic choices. Indeed, our strength lies in the democratic system we have opted for as an irreversible choice which, coupled with an aggressive, committed diplomacy, involving parliament, political parties, trade unions and civil society, will help us in the defence of our just cause.

I understand your legitimate concern following the wrong interpretation made of Security Council Resolution 1495 of 31 July 2003. I am proud of your unanimous rejection of this interpretation, which proves once again, if need be, that the Moroccan nation, from Oujda to Smara and from Tangier to Lagouira, is firmly united and tolerates no infringement of national sovereignty or territorial integrity.

Morocco, as a democratic state, has always been committed to the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, as a matter of principle. It has co-operated fully with the United Nations, subscribing to Security Council resolutions, especially those adopted since 2001. These resolutions, which all stress the need for a political settlement, known as the third solution, were adopted when the international community reached the conclusion that the 1991 settlement plan was inapplicable.

As international legality requires, both in letter and spirit, that any political solution be negotiated beforehand, and that the procedure for its implementation be mutually agreed upon in advance, Morocco has always emphasised the need for compliance with this fundamental principle. It would reject today, as it has done in the past, any solution which is inconsistent with this requirement.

In keeping with the spirit of the Green March, I should like to reaffirm that Morocco remains committed to the peaceful settlement of of the Sahara-related dispute, within the framework of the current United Nations process. We shall exert every effort possible to contribute to its success and will continue to co-operate fully with the United Nations. However, our quest for peace and our commitment to a negotiated solution should not be perceived as a sort of weakness on our part. Today, more than ever before, we are determined to defend the legitimacy of our national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the dignity of the Moroccan people and our single - yet exceptionally rich and varied - identity, of which I am the custodian, in my capacity as Amir Al-Muminin (Commander of the Faithful) and as the nation's Supreme Representative.

Being aware of its responsibilities and considering the role it plays in international and regional organisations, Morocco has readily participated in various peace-keeping operations in Africa and elsewhere. It is actively contributing to finding a just and comprehensive solution to the Middle-East problem, thereby confirming its commitment to the values of peace, dialogue and democracy. All this has earned Morocco the credibility and respect it enjoys throughout the world.

My loyal subjects,
Given the perfect rapport between us, I am sure that you fully adhere to my vision, that you are confident about the present and reassured about the future. You have every reason to be proud of your resources and potentialities which are the key to success in every undertaking or major project you embark on.

Four years of toil and hard work have changed the country in every respect. I am determined, in the current democratic process, to foster more cohesiveness among the various regions of the Kingdom and to see to it that each one of them is in a position to show its distinctive identity within a united Morocco, which boasts a wide range of richly varied regions.

I am also keen to ensure that the policies of regionalisation, devolution, decentralisation and close-proximity democracy develop gradually into a concrete strategic project, particularly in our southern provinces.

I was very pleased to note that during the different polls that have been held in the country, my loyal subjects from the southern provinces have voted in large numbers, with a turnout well above that in the other regions, a fact which confirms how strongly committed they are to their Moroccan nationality. Each voting slip they dropped freely and spontaneously into the ballot box was tantamount to a vote confirming their status as Moroccan citizens, thereby reaffirming the Beia (allegiance) which has always bound them to the glorious Alaouite Throne, in an environment where security, serenity and stability prevail and where democracy is truly exercised.

The artificial dispute over the Moroccan Sahara is by no means a matter of decolonization, since decolonization has already taken place through negotiation, consensus and agreements between the parties concerned, mainly Morocco and Spain. This, in fact, is a fabricated dispute which is against the logic of Maghreb unity, at a time when only regional blocs and groupings, based on the principles of democracy and economic integration, have a say in world affairs.

Being keenly aware of this reality, Morocco has always regarded the Arab Maghreb Union as an essential strategic option. By the same token, it is strongly committed to brotherly ties with Algeria, to whom I say : let us work together to solve the problems which thwart our peoples' ambition to build a strong Maghreb Union, based on mutual understanding, stability, concord, unity, progress and peace.

We appreciate the positions taken by a number of influential powers who understand Morocco's rights and are keenly interested in the stability of the Arab Maghreb and the Mediterranean region. Similarly, we welcome all good offices in this respect. Morocco derives its strength from the national consensus over this issue and from the fact that its cause is a just one. It stands ready, as always, to contribute effectively to efforts being made to find a consensual, realistic and final political solution which accommodates its legitimate right to protect its sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, in compliance with democratic principles and policies. Any initiatives which run counter to these basic requisites for a political solution will only strengthen the nation's resolve. In fact, they are likely to precipitate the whole region into a quagmire of instability and distract it from the fight against terrorism and extremism which threaten the whole Mediterranean region.

The unremitting efforts being made in every region of the Kingdom to build a modern, democratic society and shape a better future for the people, are best illustrated in our southern provinces, where steady and significant headway is being made by all the citizens, who have mobilised themselves with dedication to manage their own affairs, at local and regional levels.

As Morocco celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the people for the recovery of independence and freedom, in an atmosphere of total symbiosis between the nation and its Monarch, who is the custodian of its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, it just cannot accept any proposition which overlooks its legitimate rights, and I am determined to continue to lead this nation on the path to progress, unity and prosperity.

"The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo! he, between whom and thee there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a bosom friend" (Surat 41; verse 34). True is the Word of God."